Weekdays with Edna
by PerkyGoth14
Summary: Bart's fourth grade class gets a surprise one day in school when it's reported Mrs. Krabappel has cancer and will not be able to attend class for a few days, very likely longer than that. Bart decides to make it up to Mrs. Krabappel by visiting her in the hospital every day after school and actually get to know his teacher better. Dedicated to Marcia Wallace.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: *sad sigh* Hey, guys... It's almost October and it'll mean we have had a year without the lovely Marcia Wallace who has lent her voices to be Bart Simpson's fourth grade teacher. I really miss her, even if I didn't know her, she was one of my favorite characters, she made me think of what my old algebra teacher from high school was probably like when the bad students in my class would leave her. That poor woman... Anyway, I know this is typical to put a dedication story for Ms. Wallace and her character Mrs. Krabappel who was featured in the In Memorial on the Emmys the other night. Mom even will miss her, even if she never really watched the Simpsons. Read & Review, part of this story was inspired by a story I read in sophomore year known as _Tuesdays by Morrie_ by Mitch Albom which has really deeply inspired me through my high school career. No flames are allowed. Enjoy!**

* * *

10-year-old Bart Simpson snickered as he rode the school bus. He was really planning on messing with his teacher really good today. He had his backpack filled with several prank items instead of actual school supplies.

Lisa looked at her brother and rolled her eyes. "Bart, why do you have to be so against your teacher? Teachers can be your friend."

Bart scoffed at her. "Yeah, right... Mrs. Krabappel's only friend is probably cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel."

Lisa grunted and looked out the window. Even though Mrs. Hoover was exhausted with her, she really looked up to her own teacher. She just wished Bart would drop his devious side and actually put effort into himself to become a good student. She believed there were good students in everyone, including Bart.

Otto stopped the school bus and dropped the children off to Springfield Elementary School. They all rushed out and Bart slowly walked due to how heavy his backpack was with his supplies. Milhouse came to his side. The two shared smiles as they went to their designated class. Bart grinned and quickly set up his pranks to really nail on Mrs. Krabappel. He then rushed to his desk with his hands together and smirked innocently.

* * *

The clock ticked as school started. The class did the pledge and sat down. It was really close to 8:00 now. They had all been sitting for an hour and Mrs. Krabappel never came into class.

"Hm, I wonder where Mrs. Krabappel is?" Bart wondered to himself.

"Maybe she ate some bad fish tacos and we'll have a substitute." Milhouse suggested.

Bart shrugged. "Still got pranks going to waste...What if the whoopee cushion deflates before anyone sits in it?"

Milhouse shrugged.

The door jiggled as keys were heard. Principal Skinner came inside, bearing a very grave look on his face.

"What's up, Skinner?" Bart smirked at him deviously. "Your mommy call you again?"

The class laughed at their principal's expense.

Skinner darted his eyes at the children, mainly Bart, but then frowned instantly. He thought back to what he was told from the hospital and resisted the need to cry his eyes out. "Children... I'm very sorry, but Mrs. Krabappel won't be in for a bit... She's in the hospital."

"What happened?" Nelson asked. He sounded actually concerned for their crabby teacher for once.

"She had a bad scare in a check-up she had with her doctor during the weekend," Skinner explained. "The doctor found a lump and... Well... She has cancer."

The students were shocked. They all looked among each other and back at the principal. Even Bart seemed surprised and anxious about the teacher's well-being. He was so worried, he rose his hand.

"Yes, Simpson?" Skinner rolled his eyes, expecting Bart to laugh about Mrs. Krabeppel's misery or make a terrible joke about it.

"Is she gonna die?" Bart asked.

Skinner heaved a sharp sigh. "Hopefully not... We don't know for sure. Now, you all go in the cafeteria and I'll arrange for a substitute for you all." he then walked out the door and led the students out. "Come along now."

The students got up from their seats and left the classroom and followed Principal Skinner to the cafeteria. The students chattered among themselves about Mrs. Krabappel. Several of them wanted her dead a long time because they thought she was just a crabby old woman with no joy, but they then remembered a lot of the stories she would tell them to keep class from starting and really this time took the time to listen. Her ex-husband is gone, she's surrounded by cats, her love life is sinking... Bart was feeling guilty for the way he had treated Mrs. Krabappel over the years and decided to pay her a visit.

"Milhouse, we should visit Mrs. Krabappel." Bart told his blue-haired best friend.

"Ya sure, Bart?" Milhouse was surprised by Bart's encouragement.

"Yeah, come on, let's go visit her after school today."

"I suppose... Why so kind, Bart?"

"I just thought it'd be nice to see Mrs. K after all the trouble I caused her in fourth grade."

* * *

The final bell rang and the students of Springfield Elementary happily went to their rides home. Mrs. Krabappel's class seemed to be a little down. They were surprised that they were sad for her and surprised that it was actually happening. The other students weren't as sad as Bart though. He even looked as though he were going to miss his teacher. The insults and smart remarks heard from Mrs. Krabappel rang through the boy's ears as he walked with Milhouse down the street to go to the hospital and not get home.

"Who are you here for?" the nurse asked.

"Edna Krabappel." Bart answered.

"Yes..." the nurse typed the woman's name into the hospital computer. "She's in room 32B."

"Thank you, ma'am." Bart said, then walked with Milhouse.

The blue-haired boy grunted and looked around him as they went down the hallway to find their teacher. "Bart, how much longer are we gonna be here?" he whined, feeling sick to his stomach both figuratively and literarlly. "Hospitals give me the willies."

"Just hang tight, Milhouse, we'll be out before you know it." Bart told him.

The two fourth grade boys kept walking along. It seemed as though they were never going to find Mrs. Krabappel's room. Finally, Milhouse had nearly passed out from so much walking and Bart had to drag him.

"Here we are, room 32B!" Bart beamed and opened the door. "Mrs. Krabappel?" he walked in and gasped in shock at what he found inside the guest room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yaaay update... That's all I can say. Read & Review.**

* * *

Mrs. Krabappel looked like she was in poor shape. The dark circles under her eyes looked bigger and darker than usual. The poor woman looked as though she hadn't got any sleep in days. She wore a hospital gown and was getting some well rest. She heard Bart's voice call for her and she turned her head in his direction. "Oh, Bart Simpson and Milhouse van Houten, what a surprise." she said, in a dull tone, not icy, lack of interest or anything bad.

"What's going on, Mrs. K?" Bart asked, hoisting himself in a chair while Milhouse looked sick to his stomach to be in a hospital room.

Mrs. Krabappel sighed. "Look, I'm very sick. i'm sure you have better things to do then to waist your valuable free time then spend time with a crotchety old witch like me. Go ahead, I won't stop you."

"I mean it, Mrs. Krabappel, Milhouse and I are worried about you."

The woman sighed and coughed a bit. "Bart, this isn't easy for me to say, but... I'm dying."

"Dying?" Bart's face paled. He looked as pale as that boy Wendell from class who nearly throws up around anything.

"Yes, yes, I know, you were probably wanting this to happen to me for a long time."

"What is it?"

"Cancer, terrible thing," Mrs. Krabappel never changed her mood and appearance for the ten year old. "Aside from my depressing life, I never thought I'd have it. I might have to retire as a fourth grade teacher."

"But, Mrs. Krabappel, if you can't come back to school, then who'll teach us?" Bart asked, very worried now. Why was he so worried about his teacher? He never really was all that concerned for her before.

"Don't worry about me, Bart," the woman patted his spiky little head. "I'm sure you can have a lot of classical pranks on your new teacher."

_New _teacher? Surely she meant a temporary teacher. Who could replace her for good?

"Okay, Mrs. Krabappel, it's time for your medicine." a nurse came in to take Bart and Milhouse away.

"Might as well get this over with, talk to you boys later." Mrs. Krabappel told them.

The nurse pushed them out and went inside the room to talk with the teacher in private.

"Whoa, Bart, that was kinda scary seeing Mrs. Krabappel like that!" Milhouse muttered. "You think she's gonna be okay?"

Bart didn't answer right away. He walked, almost like a zombie as he was on his way home with his best friend.

* * *

Bart wasn't the same once dinner time came. The other members of his family ate. Even Homer and Maggie started to eat off his plate.

"Honey, are you okay?" Marge asked. "You don't look so good."

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine..." Bart stared at his food.

"I told him to be friends with his teacher, we heard that Mrs. Krabappel's in the hospital," Lisa said, then sent a glare at her brother. "Bet you're glad about that, huh, Bart?"

Bart didn't answer and only looked much worse than before.

"Huh, Bart!?" Lisa repeated herself, poking him with her fork.

"Hey, quit it!" Bart hissed at her.

"Mom, Bart's yelling at me!" Lisa cried out.

"No yelling at the table!" Marge scolded.

"Can we all just stop talking for once and leave me alone?" Bart grunted, getting away from the table. "I don't feel good right now, just leave me alone!" he stormed off from the table and went to the living room.

The rest of the Simpsons' glanced at him, unsure of what to do. They haven't seen Bart act like that before.

"I wonder what's gotten into him?" Marge thought out loud.

"Eh, he's a boy, these things happen." Homer shrugged.

"Homer, as his father, you should talk to him."

"Alright, alright, I will." Homer said. He then started to pile his plate up with more food since Bart clearly wasn't going to be eating.

Marge glared at her husband. "I meant _now_, Homer."

"Alright, alright, get off my back!" Homer grunted, then left the kitchen.

Marge, Lisa, and Maggie then continued to eat while Homer would do so.

* * *

Bart was hoping TV would get his mind off things. It usually did before, of course, but tonight just felt very different for his life. He dully watched the television screen as the insanely and annoyingly catchy theme song of Itchy and Scratchy came on. The cat and mouse were fighting in the opening credits and then the episode came on. It was titled; 'Teacher Annihilation Week' as a take on the not often celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week.

The cartoon started with Scratchy as a schoolteacher. He walked into the classroom and sat down, setting his briefcase on his desk and greeted the class. He is welcomed by a classroom of Itchy clones that appeared to be dressed just like Bart, who also one by one give him apples. How cliché, giving a teacher an apple. Scratchy purred in admiration, he then ate all of the apples on his desk, not noticing the fuses on them. They turned out to be apple bombs and the teacher exploded and ended up in the hospital. That just reminded Bart of when he found Mrs. Krabappel in the hospital and not in school.

The students had a funeral service for their 'belated and parted' teacher as Scratchy was buried. They all had graduation outfits and tossed their caps in the air and as they saw Scratchy as an angel, Itchy took out an apple bazooka and fired it at Scratchy, making the teacher cat fall from Heaven and land in Hell where there were demon dogs to torture him.

Normally, this cartoon would make Bart laugh, but not this time. He instead, sadly sighed.

"Hey, boy, what's going on?" Homer asked.

Bart sighed. "Oh, hey... Say, Dad... Did you ever prank a teacher so bad and then they go to the hospital that you end up missing them because you weren't sure if they would come back or not?"

Homer blinked at him. "Is this about _your _teacher?"

Bart's eyes widened. "What? No! I wouldn't hurt Mrs. Krabappel too badly! Never! I didn't mean it, the guidance counselor says I'm going through a phase anyway..."

"Boy, calm down," Homer sat next to him. "Look Bart, I'm not the right person to give you advice as your father and you as my son... But, I see on those family sitcoms that everything turns out fine at the end. Whatever happened, I'm sure you can make up for it, I'm glad we had this talk son... Oh, boy, Marge bought ice cream!" he zipped away back to the kitchen.

Bart watched him leave and wondered what he could do for his teacher. This was going to be a lot harder than it already was.


End file.
